Light-sensitized decontamination of ground-water hazardous chemicals. Technical report (Final)

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5880278

Larson, R A; Schlauch, M B; Ellis, D D; Marley, K A; Ju, H L

The use of sunlight, oxygen, and dissolved organic compounds active as 'photosensitizers' (substances capable of absorbing sunlight and transforming it into chemically useful forms) is a promising treatment for contaminated waters. Light is absorbed by the sensitizing substance, raising it to a higher energy excited state. Reaction with the excited state substance converts molecular oxygen to a form much more reactive with dissolved compounds. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), a naturally occurring compound and a known photosensitizer, was investigated for use in this process. A series of kinetic experiments explored its ability to photodegrade several aromatic compounds, phenols and anilines, that are related to some herbicides (such as carbaryl, 2, 4-D, alachlor, atrazine, and trifluralin) commonly found in polluted waters. It was found that riboflavin when added to solutions of phenols or anilines greatly accelerated the rate of their loss in the presence of light. The sensitized photolysis rates increased in the absence of oxygen, suggesting a mechanism involving direct energy or electron transfer between flavin excited states and acceptor molecules. In addition, it was found that some iron salts were very significant promoters of photodestruction of the triazine herbicide, atrazine.

• Research Organization: Illinois Univ., Urbana, IL (USA). Environmental Research Labs.
• OSTI ID: 5880278
• Report Number(s): PB-89-178578/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
GROUND WATER
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
ANILINE
AROMATICS
ENERGY LEVELS
HERBICIDES
IRON
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PHENOLS
PHOTOLYSIS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PROGRESS REPORT
REACTION KINETICS
RIBOFLAVIN
SALTS
AMINES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
MATERIALS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PESTICIDES
POLLUTION CONTROL
SYNTHESIS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VITAMIN B GROUP
VITAMINS
WATER
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)